Australian Cyclo-cross National Championships – Izzy Flint and Max Hobson claim elite titles

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Izzy Flint (Cervelo Australia Off-Road) and Max Hobson (Team BridgeLane) claimed the elite titles at the AusCycling Cyclo-cross national championships on a wet and muddy course at Ballarat’s Victoria Park.

The races for the green and gold jersey played out on day one of the two day CX Ballarat – with Sunday delivering a UCI C2 event – on a course which was soaked by rain the night before. The fields included former winners but also some new challengers to take on the 2.65 km loop, featuring a short but steep climb and descent on a section known as ‘the mound’.

Hobson, who was second in the U23 title race last year but made the step up to the elite category in 2024, and the 2023 U23 title winner Tristan Nash, both took off in the early stages of the elite men’s race. However, in the final third of the nine lap race Hobson made his move and struck out to the front alone though Nick Smith (Duke Flanders) plus mountain bike and gravel racer Tasman Nankervis (Merida / BMC Shimano) were in pursuit.  

“I was trying to hold off Tristan getting too far up the road, and he had a little slip up toward the end of the track,” said Hobson in an AusCycling media release. “I’m not sure if he had a little issue with the bike, but I just took it and decided to attack. I got maybe 10 seconds on Nick Smith and I was just like I just have to hold this for the next three or four laps.”